Two Brothers and Two Broken Angels
by Erin Eclipta
Summary: Two young girls are transported to Amestris under extreme cirumstances and undergo extreme... changes... only to discover that they are not what they thought they were.
1. Chapter 1

_**Chapter One**_

_**RRRIIINNNGGG!!!**_ I look up as the bell rings for school to get out.

"Finally!" I yell as I run out of the classroom doors.

"ERIN! Wait up!" A girl with chin-length, silver hair yells at me. I stop, laughing, and brush away a few stray strands of my black, shoulder-length hair.

"I'm waiting!" I call to her as she scrambles to pick up her pens, notebooks and papers. A boy with spiked, black hair and dark brown eyes walks up to her, beginning to help her gather her stuff. Afterward, he looks at her as she starts to walk away.

"Um… Joni?" He asks. She stops and looks at him.

"Yes?" She replies. He turns bright red and begins to stutter.

"D--Do you want t--to go out with m-me?" She shakes her head and looks at him.

"Robbie… I'm sorry, Hun, but I'm not into the whole 'dating' thing. Gomen nasai." She smiles sadly at him and turns back toward me. He looks confused and calls to her once more.

"What's gomen nasai mean?"

"I'm sorry!" She calls back. He sighs exasperatedly and collapses into Joni's chair. She reaches the doors and walks out of them, shaking her head.

"I swear, men are worms!" I chuckle at her.

"Hey! Just because a boy asked _me_ out and not _you_, doesn't mean that he's a worm!" She replies indignantly. I laugh and run ahead of her.

"Erin!!" She yells. "Stop! I have to go to my locker! Damn it, Erin!" I just laugh and skid around the corner, into the main hall.

"Then I'll meet you on the bus!" I laugh. She just curses under her breath and stops at the first locker in the main hall, on the wall closest to her.

"Move it, Freshie." A senior girl pushes Joni aside, shutting her locker in the process, to get to the locker next to Joni's. Joni stands back up and glares at the senior, re-opening her locker.

"Leave my friends alone, Minx." I yell as I walk back to Joni. "Joni, you ok?" I inquire quietly. She nods and the senior looks at me.

"What'd you say, Freshie?" She asks, threateningly. I walk up to her and look her in the eye.

"Since you're hard of hearing, I'll repeat myself. _**Leave my friends alone**_." I glare. She backs up slightly and pushes me backward.

"Don't tell me what I can and can't do, Bitch!" She replies with false authority.

"Erin… Calm down… Erin!" Joni whispers in my ear.

"You don't want me to snap." I reply calmly to the senior. She laughs nervously.

"Yeah? And What'ch' ya gonna do?" I clench my fists and put my head down, allowing my bangs to cover my face.

"I wouldn't know… I can't remember… And no one has ever lived, to tell the tale." I look back up to her, my eyes becoming pure black. Minx laughs nervously and looks to her friends.

"Ya hear that? A little freshman is threatening a senior!" Minx looks back at Joni and me. My fists are trembling and my nails are beginning to dig into my palms.

"Erin, be careful… She _is _a senior _and_ she's about twice your size." Joni murmurs in my ear. I glance at her then turn back to Minx. I glare at her and reach up, punching her right in the mouth as powerfully as I can muster. She falls to the floor and her friends back up.

"I SAID YOU DON'T WANT ME TO SNAP!" I yell. She screams and scrambles to leave, running with her group of friends, terrified.

"I told her…" I sigh and slam her locker shut. "I'll meet you at the bus." I turn and walk away as Joni sighs.

"Erin, you need to learn to control your temper."

"I was." I turn around, look at her and smile half-heartedly. "I wanted to yell at her." I walk out of the main hall to the courtyard, where the busses are waiting. As I walk, I pull out an MP3 player, put on the headphones and turn on a song called "Ready To Fall" by Rise Against.

"Hold on, slow down. Again from the top now, and tell me everything. I know I've been gone for what seems like forever but I'm here now, waiting, to convince you that I'm not a ghost or a stranger, but closer than you think." I sing quietly as I head toward the bus labeled "25." I climb on and take a seat, second from the front on the right side. I set my stuff down, making sure nothing is going to fall and get back off of the bus.

"Don't cry to me, if you love me, you would be here with me. You love me, come find me. Make up your mind." I smile as "Call Me When You're Sober" begins. I sing along and look around for friends. I spot Joni walking out of the main building and wave. She waves back, her silver hair and eyes glinting in the sunlight. I smile and call to her.

"I saved us a seat! I'll be right there ok?" She nods and I turn toward the bus exit, where many students are heading toward their busses. I hear people chatting about what they are going to do on their two-month summer vacation, and who's dating who, and the newest fashion trends. I shake my head and look closer at the crowd. After a second, I spot one of my guy friends, Kale. He has white hair, silver eyes, and is wearing blue jeans and a black shirt.

"Hey!!! Kale, over here!" I call to him. He looks up at me and laughs, waving and running.

"Hey!!" He laughs as he glomps me. I nearly fall over and hug him back.

"What a nice hello today." I reply. He just grins and looks behind him, his arms still around me.

"Who ya looking' for?" I ask as I hope he'll keep his arms around me.

"Jessie." He says as he spots another one of our friends. She has mid-length black hair with unnaturally orange bangs, and sky-blue eyes, along with tan skin. She waves as she fixes her black, rectangular glasses. We wave back and I poke Kale's side. He lets go of me, jumps and looks at me, glaring jokingly. I give him the "I'm sorry" look and see another one of our friends, Mia, approaching. She is tall and slim, with black hair, bright green eyes and small, square, blood red glasses. I grin and wave madly at her. She sees me and waves madly back. Kale and I both double over laughing as Mia arrives, along with Jessie. As I straighten, I see another of our friends, Pandora, heading toward us. She's trying to balance her binder on her head while digging through her backpack. I give her an odd look and she looks up at me. After a second, she yells her signature saying.

"Don't look at me in that tone of voice! It smells like funny colors!" As it reaches my ears, I begin laughing again and wave to her. She reaches up, waves, and catches her binder as it begins to fall off of her head and onto the ground. As she begins walking up to me, another one of our friends, Eric,-- a boy with medium length brown hair, dark brown eyes, black clothes and black eyeliner-- walks up behind her, hugging her.

"Hey, Pan." He smiles. She laughs and turns around in his arms, hugging him. After a moment, she lets go and, at a dead run, glomps me, nearly knocking me over. Standing behind her, is my three best friends. Sam, the tomboy, Kari, the quiet, smart one and Joni, the humorous, sweet one. Sam has short, light brown, messy hair and chocolate brown eyes. She has tan skin and is loud and entertaining. Kari, on the other hand, has hip length, black hair with red highlights and dark, dark blue eyes. Her skin is very pale, and she is always in black. She isn't very tall, being 4'10'', and is quiet and sensitive. Joni has silver hair and silver eyes. Her skin is pale but not as pale as Kari's. She is taller than me, me being 5'4'' and her being 5'9'', and smart, kind, and funny.

"GLOMP!!" Pandora yells as she hits. I laugh and catch myself, with Kale's help. I smile up at him and he grins down at me. In my head, I tell myself to kiss him, but I don't. I never have, no matter how long I've wanted to. After a second I look around at my friends, who are now all chatting. _I love this! It's so fun, having these friends._ I think. _They make school fun._

"Hey! Everyone!" I call. They look at me. "Finally!" I laugh.

"Hey what?" Mia asks.

"I want you guys to sign my shirt! It _is_ the last day of school this year!" I smile, holding up a rainbow of permanent markers. They all grin and grab their favorite colors; red for Mia, orange for Jessie, yellow for Eric, green for Pandora, blue for Kale, purple for Joni, black for Kari and brown for Sam. I grin as they sign the white shirt I'm wearing and I nearly jump as Kale signs my right side, tickling me. When they're all done, my shirt is full of I love you's, H.A.G.S.'s, phone numbers and call me's. I hug everyone as the security guards yell at us to get on the bus so we can go home. We all exchange 'I love you!'s' and hugs. Joni and me get on our bus and sit down. Sitting around us are some of our other friends, Bella, the artist, Devon, her best guy friend, Steven, the most annoying teenager I've _ever_ met, Kimo, the hot Japanese friend, and my ex-boyfriend, Matthew. I move around when I can and get all of them to sign my shirt, chatting all the while. Finally, when it's just me and Joni left on the bus, I plop down next to her.

"Ten more minutes till our stop." She smiles.

"Yep." I sigh. "I can't believe Corri skipped the _last day_ of school. I mean, honestly! What's the point?"

"I don't know, Erin, maybe she wasn't feeling well."

"Nah, I talked to her last night and she seemed fine." I shake my head. Corri is the friend who's spacey but not blonde; the one who's always blabbering on about boys, but hasn't had a good boyfriend in months. She has shoulder-length, black, frizzy hair and brown eyes. She has a rather 'curvy' figure and knows how to work it. She is ditzy, but not so much so that it's too annoying.

"Well, how about we call her before we go to bed." Joni offers. I nod. We live together, Joni and I, along with our families. We like it more that way, we see each other every day. Our families both moved into the same duplex, so we put a door between mine and Joni's rooms. We hang out every evening, especially on Thursday nights. Because, on Thursday night, our favorite T.V. show comes on right at nine o'clock. It comes on on Adult Swim, on Cartoon Network. It is called "Full Metal Alchemist."


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter Two**_

"C'mon! We're gonna miss it if you don't get out now!" I pound on the door of the bathroom, urging Joni to get out of the shower.

"It's only six freakin' thirty!!" She yells.

"No, it was six thirty when you got in! Now it's six fifty!" I pound one more time and the door opens, revealing a soaking wet Joni in a black towel.

"HEY! That's _my_ towel! What the heck?!" I yell. She just shakes her head and walks out of the bathroom, and into her room.

"Go in your room and wait for me. I'm gonna get dressed, okay?" She looks at me. I nod, resigned, and walk into my room, through hers'. I sit on my bed and turn on the T.V., excited.

"There's a two-hour marathon today, you know!" I call.

"Yes, I _know_, Erin!" She yells back. I chuckle and curl up with my Edward and Alphonse Elric blanket and my Edward Elric pillow. I grab my remote off of the floor next to my bed and switch on my medium-sized, silver T.V.. I have no need to switch channels, I always leave it on Cartoon Network. Just a moment after I switch it on, FMA starts. I grin, going deadly silent as episode sixteen, "That Which Is Lost," comes on. Joni hears it start and opens the door. She walks in holding her hair in a towel, fully dressed in her favorite dark blue jeans and a tight, black shirt. She sits on my egg-shaped chair while finishing drying her hair. At a commercial, she looks over to me.

"Fangirl," she coughs, then continues. "Anyway, Aren't you gonna take a shower? We've seen this episode before; they played it two weeks ago."

"Yeah, but next is my favorite episode!" I whine. She shrugs.

"Just take a quick shower." After a moment, I stand and walk out of my room, grabbing a change of clothes. _Why does the library always have open mic night on Thursdays?! _I think as I get strip and get into the shower.

Joni is sitting on my bed, hugging her Havoc pillow, when I come back in.

"Did I miss it??" I ask eagerly. She shakes her head and then I notice that InuYasha is playing now instead of Full Metal.

"What happened?!" I inquire angrily, grabbing the remote and opening the guide.

"Erin, this is the _early_ showing. The marathon isn't until later tonight." She replies.

"Damn…" I mutter.

"Now c'mon. Open mic night, here you come!" She laughs, ignoring my muttering. I turn off the T.V. and allow Joni to drag me into the bathroom and set to work putting make-up on me and trying to do my hair.

"Damn it, Erin! What were you thinking when you cut your hair like this?! Were you temporarily insane?!" She complains.

"Hey! Don't pick on the haircut!" I glare. Personally, I _like_ my hair just how it is: shoulder length bangs and the rest is chin length. I think it looks cute. After a few more minutes of torture, I finally protest.

"ENOUGH WITH THE MAKE-UP!" I yell. She stands back and crosses her arms.

"Perfect timing. I'm done." She smiles slyly. She hands me the hand mirror and allows me to look at myself. I grin as soon as I see my reflection. No preppy make-up this time. It looks like I had done my own make-up. I look closer at my almost-black eyelids, the eye liner, the thin layer of chap-stick on my lips, and the thin layer of pale foundation.

"Thank you, Joni!" I stand and glomp her. I look at my alarm clock through my door. It read 7:10

"We'd better get going; it starts in twenty minutes." I walk toward the door and glance back at my dad. He is asleep, in a drunken stupor no doubt, on the couch. I shake my head and walk out the door with Joni at my side. We walk the six blocks to the public library and, as we reach it, see that they are holding open mic night outside this week. I look at Joni, grinning.

"Awesome! Now I can be as loud as I like! Perfect timing to choose a hard rock song, right?"

"Yep." She nods. "And good time to be the first act, singing two songs." She grins.

"What? Oh, awesome!!! How'd you pull that one off?!" I glomp her once again. "What songs am I singing, M'Lady?" I ask, adding my affectionate nickname for her.

"Breaking A Habit, like you wanted, and…" She grins. "One of my favorites. With You." I jump, punch the air and yell "Yeah!!"

A few minutes later, I'm on stage, waiting to start. Butterflies are fluttering with excitement in my stomach and I've got the microphone held fast in my hands. A quick nod form the sound director tells me that the music will start in a second and I get ready. The music starts and I nod in time with it, beginning to sing only on cue.

"Memories consume like opening the wound, I'm picking me apart again… You all assume I'm searching in the wound, unless I try to start again…! I don't want to be the one the battles always choose. 'Cause inside I realize that I'm the one confused. I don't know what's worth fighting for, or why I have to scream! I don't know why I instigate, and say what I don't mean. I don't know how I got this way, I know it's not all right. So I'm breaking a habit, I'm breaking a habit, tonight."

"Clutching my cure, I tightly lock the door; I try to catch my breath again. I hurt much more than anytime before. I have no options left, again…! I don't want to be the one the battles always choose. 'Cause inside I realize that I'm the one confused. I don't know what's worth fighting for, or why I have to scream! I don't know why I instigate, and say what I don't mean. I don't know how I got this way, I'll never be all right! So I'm breaking a habit, I'm breaking a habit, tonight! I'll paint it on the walls! 'Cause I'm the one at fault! I'll never fight again! And this is how it ends: I don't know what's worth fighting for, or why I have to scream! But now I have some clarity, to show you what I mean. I don't know how I got this way, I'll never be all right! So I'm breaking a habit, I'm breaking a habit, I'm breaking a habit, tonight!" The music fades and then, after a moment, stops. The crowd that had gathered as I sang, roars with cheers and I bow once, then speak into the mic.

"Tonight, I shall be doing one more song, a complete opposite of what I just sang. That last song was 'Breaking A Habit' by Linkin Park. This next song is 'With You' by Jessica Simpson. Thank you!" The crowd quiets and, after one more moment, the guitar begins to play.

"The real me is a southern girl, with the Levi's on and an open heart. Wish I could save the world, like I was super girl. The real me is to laugh all night, lying in the grass, just talking bout love. But lately I've been jaded, life got so complicated. I start thinkin' about it. I almost forgot what it feels like, but with you, I can let my hair down. I can say anything. Crazy, I know you'll catch me right before I hit the ground. With nothing but a t-shirt on, I've never felt so beautiful, baby, as I do now. Now that I'm with you, with you, with you, with you. (Now that I'm with you.)

"You speak and it's like a song and just like that all my walls come down. It's like a private joke, just meant for us to know. I related actually, everybody else just fades away. Sometimes it's hard to breathe, just knowin' you'll find me. I start thinkin' about it. I almost forgot what love feels like, but with you, I can let my hair down. I can say anything. Crazy, I know you'll catch me right before I hit the ground. With nothing but a t-shirt on, I've never felt so beautiful, baby, as I do now. Now that I'm with you, with you, with you, with you.

"Come and take me, love, you save me. I'm nobody else, now I can be myself, with you…! I can let my hair down. I can say anything. Crazy, I know you'll catch me right before I hit the ground. With nothing' but a t-shirt on, I've never felt so beautiful, baby, as I do now. Now that I'm with you, I can let my hair down. I can say anything. Crazy, I know you'll catch me right before I hit the ground. With nothing but a t-shirt on, I've never felt so beautiful, baby, as I do now. Now that I'm with you." The guitar continues, then fades. Afterward, I bow and say "Thank you!" then walk off of the stage, handing the mic to the next person. I walk to the side of the building, where Joni is waiting for me along with Kale, Mia and Pandora. I smile and run up to them, hugging each in turn­­ and saving Kale for last. He hugs me tightly and whispers in my ear.

"That was a great performance!" Kale whispers. I look pull back and look at him. He grins and I blush, then step back. I look at Mia and Pandora.

"So, what did you guys think?" I ask, eager.

"That was awesome!!" They say in unison. I grin and look at Joni.

"What about you?" I inquire. She flashes her rare, toothy grin and nods.

"That was the best you've done so far, I think." She smiles and glomps me. I laugh and return the hug. After a minute we go and stand with the crowd. I recognize the song that is being sung, a surprise to me. It's called "Far Away" by Nickleback. I hum along and sway slightly; the rest of the crowd follows my example and begins to sway. I laugh to myself. As the show begins to wind to an end, the vice-producer runs up to me.

"The last act!! He's _not here_!!" She cries in alarm.

"What am I supposed to do about it?!" I ask defensively. "I'm not leaving to go find him."

"No, no." She shakes her head. "Will you perform his songs?"

"What songs are they? I can't perform them if I don't know the songs."

"Um.." She checks her clipboard. "They're 'Never Too Late' by Three Days Grace and 'Hate Me' by Blue October." She looks up at me hopefully. I nod and grin.

"I _love _those songs!! Of course I'll sing them!"

A few minutes later, I'm getting back onto stage. I smile at Joni, Kale, Mia and Pandora. The music starts and, right on cue, I begin to sing.

"This world will never be what I expected. And if I don't belong, who would have guessed it. I will not leave alone everything that I own, to make you feel like it's not too late; it's never too late. And I never say, it'll be all right. Still I hear you say you want to end your life. Why can't we try to just stay alive? Baby, we'll turn it around, 'cause it's not too late, it's never too late.

"No one will ever see this side reflected. And if there's something wrong, who would have guessed it? And I have left alone everything that I own, to make you feel like it's not too late; it's never too late. And I never say, it'll be all right. Still I hear you say you want to end your life. Why can't we try to just stay alive? Baby, we'll turn it around, 'cause it's not too late, it's never too late.

"The world we knew won't come back. The time we've lost, can't get it back. The life we had won't be, cause I care...

"This world will never be what I expected and If I don't belong… And I never say, it'll be alright. Still I hear you say you want to end your life. Why can't we try to just stay alive? Baby, we'll turn it around, 'cause it's not too late, it's never too late. Baby, we'll turn it around, 'cause it's not too late, it's never too late. It's not too late! It's not too late, it's never too late." The music fades and, I look at the sound manager. She winks and switches on the next song. The music starts for that song and I begin to sing right on cue.

"I have to block out thoughts of you, so I don't lose my head. They crawl in like a cockroach, leaving babies in my bed. Dropping little reels of tape, to remind me that I'm alone, playing movies in my head that make a porno feel like home. There's a burning in my pride, a nervous bleeding in my brain. An ounce of peace is all I want for you, will you never call again. And will you never say that you loved me, just to put it in my face. And will you never try to reach me, it is I that want its.

"Hate me today. Hate me tomorrow. Hate me for all the things I didn't do for you… Hate me and wait. Yeah, weight's hard to swallow. Hate me so you can finally see what's good for you.

"I'm sober now, for three whole months. That's one accomplishment that you helped me with. The one thing that always tore us apart is the one thing that I won't touch again. In my sick way, I wanna thank you for holding my head up late at night. While I was busy waging wars on myself, you were trying to stop the fight. You never doubted my warped opinions on things like suicide or hate. You made me compliment myself when it was way too hard to take. So I'll drive so fuckin' far away, that I never cross your mind. And do whatever it takes in your heart to leave me behind.

"Hate me today. Hate me tomorrow. Hate me for all the things I didn't do for you. Hate me and wait. Yeah, weight's hard to swallow. Hate me so you can finally see what's good for you.

"And with a sad heart I say bye to you and wave. Kicking shadows on the street for every mistake that I have made. And like a baby boy, I never was a man. Until I saw your blue eyes cry and I held your face in my hands, and then I found I was yelling 'Make it go away! Just make a smile come back and shine, just like it used to be!' And then she whispered, 'How could you do this to me?'

"…Hate me today. Hate me tomorrow. Hate me for all the things I didn't do for you. Hate me and wait. Yeah, weight's hard to swallow. Hate me so you can finally see what's good for you. For you… For you… For you…"

The music fades and I bow. I walk off stage and then head back to where Joni, Kale, Mia and Pandora are. I smile as convincingly as possible and it seems that I do convince Pandora, but that's all. I look at Joni and she smiles reassuringly, knowing the effect that certain things have on my mind. I then look to Mia, who smiles and mumbles: "Good job!" I pause and, after a second look at Kale.

"May I talk to you?" He asks politely, suppressing all emotion. I nod and we walk until we are out of earshot of everyone. I sit down on the nearby bench and sigh heavily. He sits next to me and puts his hand on mine. I look up at him, not knowing what to expect.

"What happened up there?" He inquires, his voice full of concern. I look down again and wait a moment to reply.

"…I… Kale, you know I'm bipolar, right? I told you?"

"Yes…" He mumbles. I sigh and then continue.

"Well, certain things, they bring me down, to where it feels like I'm…" I look up at him, measuring his reaction. "It feels as if I'm drowning. Drowning in… everything. In pain, in… the only way I can describe it is… water. Pitch-black, never-ending water. It puts a black hue over everything." His expression doesn't change, just stays concerned and worried. "I just… It's really difficult to get… happy again. To be lifted into… white, again. You see, my moods, they each have a color. Happiness is white, deep depression is black. Sadness is blue and numbness is silver. But," I pause, hesitant. I've never told anyone this. Never confessed the extremity of my moods to anyone. "Well, there is one other main one, but if I told you, you'd probably get up and run or call me masochistic and morbid." I shake my head.

"No, I wouldn't do anything like that, and you know it." I feel his arms wrap around me, pulling me into a comforting hug. "Please tell me, Erin." He pleads quietly. I sigh and put my head on his shoulder.

"Crimson."

"What is that color for?"

"When… When I shed my… regrets, my pain." I whisper.

"When you cut, you mean." I feel him tighten his grip on me. "Why do you do that? Do you realize that it hurts not only you, but everyone around? Can't you see that?" He is barely containing his anger. I bury my head in his shoulder.

"Kale, please, please, don't berate me for it. I already scream at myself everyday for it." I murmur, almost in tears. He stops and puts a hand on my neck.

"You know, if you start crying you'll ruin you're make-up." He teases feebly. I chuckle quietly and put my arms around him as best as I can without making him uncomfortable. He shakes his head; I can feel the movement in his neck.

"When I sang that song, 'Hate Me,' the lyrics just… with every word I dragged myself into the black. I went down, through the white, through the silver, the blue until I was so deep in black that I felt like I'd never breathe again, like I'd never see… you or anyone else clearly again. It scared me… I haven't been that deep since… since my mom died…" I squeeze his shoulder, barely holding back the tears. After a moment of silence, he replies with a new strength.

"I'm coming over." He announces. I pull back and look at him, startled.

"Wh-- what?"

"I'm coming over to you're house. If I can't stay the night, then I'll stay as long as I can."

"Why?"

"Because I'm going to make sure you don't do anything. To make sure you don't cut; not tonight."

"Well… I'm pretty sure my dad's passed out, drunk. When he wakes up, he'll go to the bar and then to work. It's what he always does." _Hopefully... _I add silently. Kale smiles, encouraged.

"Then it's settled. I'm coming over and I'm staying the night." After a minute of stunned silence, we stand and I lead the way back to Joni; Mia and Pandora having left. I smile and glance at Kale.

"I guess he's coming over." I state shakily.

"You okay?" She inquires. "What…?"

I grin. "Right now? White. When we get home though…" I add quietly. She nods, aware of the danger that Kale, striding fluidly next to me, is completely unaware of. As we approach mine and Joni's house, we pause. I hug Joni and say goodnight.

"Be careful." Is all she says in response. Kale shoots a quizzical look at me but I shake my head and step up to my front door. My hands shaking, I slowly open the door.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter Three **_

I open the door and immediately wish I hadn't. My father, awake and still in an angry, drunken stupor, turns to face me. I freeze and silently pray that he won't hit me tonight. _Not with Kale here, oh God, please, no! _He stands to his full height, 5'10'', and I cringe slightly.

"…Hi, Dad… I see you're awake… I just got back from open mic night! I sang four songs and did really--" My sentence is cut short by a slap across the face.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, WEARING THOSE CLOTHES?! AND MAKE-UP?! AND BRINGING A BOY HERE, IN MY HOUSE?! YOU LITTLE SLUT! YOU WHORE! YOU BITCH!!" He roars while kicking me as I lie on the floor, face first. I begin crying and I curl up into a ball.

"Dad, please! Please, please! No more! Please!" I beg through my tears. He kicks me hard once more and then I hear him be thrown back and onto the floor in the kitchen, the room connected with the living room. Suddenly, Kale is by my side, pulling me up gently.

"Are you okay?" He inquires quietly.

I shake my head 'No.'

"Do you expect me to be okay?!" I say through my tears. He shakes his head and turns suddenly, setting me down softly and then turning to face my father.

Kale stands almost a head taller than my father, and much more muscular and lean. He glares down at my dad and gets ready to fight. I wipe my eyes and try to stand but the pain in my side is too much, I fall back onto the floor behind Kale. My dad punches Kale in the stomach and tries to hit him over the head, instead hitting his cheek. Kale punches him in the mouth, knocking him back, then knees my dad in the groin. My dad falls to his knees and Kale then knees him in the face, knocking him out. As my dad hits the ground, Kale turns to me again.

"Can you stand?" He asks through his slightly heavy breathing. I shake my head. "Let me see your side." I lie back and tug up my shirt on the right side, where my father had kicked me numerous times. There is already a large bruise forming and it is very tender.

"I hope he didn't break any of you're ribs…" Kale says softly. I cringe as he lightly touches the bruise.

"Kale, I… I don't want to stay here." I sob. He pulls my shirt back down and hugs me carefully.

"Shhhh… C'mere…" He picks me up, bridal style and walks outside. We head a few streets down and stop at a dark corner. He sits down, setting me in his lap, and pulls out a small cell phone. I set my head on his chest, between my arms and he puts one arm around me. With the other, he presses a few buttons on the phone and then holds it to his ear. After a moment, he begins speaking.

"Hello? Katie? Yeah, hey. Um… can you come pick me up? …What? Oh, no. She's with me. …Huh? Oh yeah, sure. …We'll meet you there, then? …Okay. …Bye." He flips the phone closed with one hand and slips it in his back pocket. He wraps his other arm around me and speaks quietly into my hair.

"Erin? We have to go to the library."

"M'k. You're sister's gonna pick us up?"

"Yeah."

I pull back and look at his face. A small bruise is forming on his left, upper cheekbone. I reach up and lightly run my fingers over it.

"Oh, God, Kale. I'm so sorry. Is you're stomach okay? Let me see." He lets go of me and pulls up his shirt to show a bruise forming there, too. I lean down and lightly press my lips to it, as if that would make it go away. I straighten and then look at his bright silver eyes as a sly grin plays across his face.

"…Shouldn't we get to the library?" I ask.

"Yeah." He sighs. "Want me to carry you still? Or can you walk?"

I smile slyly. "Those are two completely different questions, Kale. But, here. Let me see if I can walk…" I move off of his lap and try to stand, using the street sign-post for support. I make it halfway and then collapse on the ground, crying out in pain. Kale rushes over to me and kneels next to me.

"I… guess that answers one of you're questions.." I mutter through gritted teeth. He nods and picks me up, bridal style, again. He continues to walk down the road, towards the library. I put one hand on his shoulder, farthest from me, and then lay my head on his other shoulder. He sings quietly, sending vibrations throughout his chest.

"So I'm the king of all these things, of this mess I have made. Such a waste, what a shame, my whole life is a fake. Well, I'm a bore, and I'm sure I'm a thorn inside of you, that has torn at you for years. The alcohol, the demoral, these things never could replace what a minute with you could do to put a smile on my face. I'm a bore and I'm sure I'm a thorn inside of you that has torn at me for years…" We arrive at the library and Kale walks over to a bench and sits. "Hey, you can go to sleep if you want, you know that, right?" He asks. I nod and curl up, sitting on his lap, keeping my head on his shoulder but moving my left arm to wrap around his side, carefully avoiding his bruise. He wraps his arms around me, thankful that I'm leaning against him with my right side, and continues singing quietly into my hair.

"…Phenobarbital and alcohol, these two surely will do to nock me out, keep me down, at least a day of two. And I'm a weight, and I can taste how bitter I've become, and it's more than I can bear. Some days, I pray, someone will blow me away. Make it quick but let it burn, so I can feel my life fade. Well, I'm a waste, and I can taste how bitter I've become, and it's more than I an bear…" He pauses, brushing some hair from his face, the continues.

"I can't get out of this dead skin. I'm not sure where to begin. I cant get under my dead skin, cannot sleep today…"As he finishes, a car pulls up. "Um… Erin?"

"Hunh?"

"Never mind."

"M'k." I close my eyes again and immediately fall back asleep. He picks me up and walks over to the car.

"Katie, can I sit in back with her, please?" After a second, his sister nods. He smiles and sits in the back seat, lying me across the seat, my head sitting on his knees. I curl up, hugging his knee, and mumble "Kale…" in my sleep. He runs his fingers through my hair, smiling.

"Isn't she the only girl who flat out told you she liked you?" Katie asks from the drivers' seat. Kale nods and looks at her.

"Yep and she's the only girl I've gotten a crush on since we've lived here." He looks back down to me as I tighten my grip on his leg, mumbling: "…It wasn't his fault. Aus… Austin did… it…" Kale chuckles.

Close to fifteen minutes later, Kale is carrying me into his house, then his room. He lies me on his bed softly and pulls the blankets over me, kissing my forehead. As he pulls back, he sees my eyes opening.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" He inquires instantly. I shake my head and, once again, tell myself to kiss him. As if reading my thoughts, Kale leans down and presses his lips to mine. I return the kiss and slip my hand into his hair. A mere second of bliss later, the door bursts open, and a little girl runs in.

"Kale!!!" She yells as she enters the room. Kale stands straight up and spins around to look at her. She grins and calls to someone in the hall.

"Kale was snogging Erin!" Kale turns red and shoos her out of the room.

"Katie, if you wanted to spy on me you could've knocked first!!" He slams his door, still as red as a cherry. I laugh and cover my own blush by burying my head in the pillow.

"She has seen way to much British stuff." He laughs. "I mean, 'snogging?' C'mon." I feel him sit on the edge of the bed and look at him. He is still blushing and I can feel that I am, too. He smiles and brushes aside a few strands of my hair. He leans down and kisses me lightly, quickly, then stands.

"Goodnight. I'll see you in the morning." He pauses and then brushes his hand across my cheek, from my cheekbone to my chin. As he shuts the door behind him, I still feel his touch. I fall asleep wishing he had stayed in the room; wishing he had held me until I was sound asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter Four**_

_The same dream, again._ I think as I look up. In front of me is a pair of large, dark gold colored doors with a large, protruding, stone eye peering at me as I stand in the yellow and white, always-moving world. _I'm not going to walk away from the Gate again. Not this time..._ I state firmly in my head. I take a few small steps closer to the doors and brush my hair behind my ears.

"Hello?" I call into the loud silence. A sound like T.V. static comes and I hear a voice, hidden inside the sound.

"_Equivalence."_

"What? What do you want?"

"_Equivalence." _The doors begin to open, long, black appendages reaching out, small faces with large eyes scrutinizing me. I take a step back but it's too late; the limb-like feelers are reaching out and digging into my skin, pulling me towards them. All the while, little black child-shaped forms are attacking my limbs, pulling me towards the doors; ripping, tearing, scratching at my skin. I scream as I enter the doors, trying to pull away, thinking _'Joni! Joni, help! Oh my God, I need you! Kale! Joni! …Joni… I need you!'_ As I enter the Gate, everything goes black and all I can feel is pain; all I can hear is a heavy, foreboding silence.

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Kale sits up in his make-shift bed on the couch, hearing Erin screaming in his bedroom. He jumps up and runs in, throwing open the door frantically and running over to the bed. As he reaches the bed, the screaming stops.

"Erin? …Erin??" He says as he shakes her limp form, trying to wake her. He grows frenzied as he shakes her more and more violently, willing her to wake up in his mind, body and soul. His sister stands at the door, wearing only a dark blue robe, holding a sleepy little girl in her arms.

"Kale? …What happened?" She asks.

"I don't… I don't know…" He whimpers. "Erin get up!"

Kale lifts Erin into his arms and hugs her; he can still hear her breathing; he can still feel her heart beating. _At least she's not dead…_ He thinks. Katie walks over and puts a hand on his shoulder.

"Kale, I think we should take her to the hospital."

He nods, unwilling to look up at his sister; unwilling to let her see his tears. He stands with Erin in his arms. She seems heavier than when he was carrying her to the library, more like dead weight.

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I look around and see trees, loads of them. I try to sit up, using my right elbow, but fall back, the pain in my side stabbing at me. I look at the ground to my left: nothing except grass and trees. I look at the ground on my right: Joni. _Wait, what? What's Joni doing here? And why is she in her pajamas?_ I think. I go to move my left hand to wake her; nothing happens. A light, cool breeze blows over me and I feel a sharp pain in my left shoulder and, when I turn to look at it, in a daze, I see no arm. All I can see is blood, pouring from where my arm once was. I scream, a blood curdling scream. Joni jolts awake and sits up quickly. I see that her right leg, from just above the knee down, is gone. Her pant leg is soaked in blood.

"What happened?! Erin! Oh my God where's my leg?! Where's you're arm?! What the fuck happened to us?!"

"I… I don't know, Joni… I don't know, but it hurts…"

"…Erin, can you walk to the edge of the trees?"

I nod, not knowing if I really can or not. I stand, with a large protest from my side and my missing arm, and then put my arm around Joni and haul her up. We begin to make very slow progress, but nevertheless progress, to the edge of the forest. As we reach it, Joni leans against a tree and I take in the surroundings, looking for a close-by house. I finally spot one: a large, yellow and white house with a brown roof and a chimney. I gasp then look to Joni, realization dawning on both of our faces.

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Kale cradles Erin in his arms as Katie drives them to the hospital, hoping that it's open. As they reach the hospital, Erin whimpers quietly in her comatose-like state and Kale looks down at her hopefully, only to see her still asleep. Katie stops the car in front of the doors and Kale gets out of the car, still holding Erin. As they walk in, the nurse behind the counter jumps up and runs over to greet them.

"What happened? Is she breathing? Here, lay her down on this…" She says as she forces Kale to lie Erin down on a bed-like thing with rollers.

"I don't know what happened, she just… wouldn't wake up…" Kale mumbles shakily. As a few doctors approach and try to force him away, Kale grabs Erin's hand and holds on tight, unwilling to leave her side.

"Sir, you can see her after we get her into a room. We need you to go sit in the waiting room, so we can find out what's wrong with her. Sir, _go sit down_." The main doctor forces Kale away and into the waiting room. Kale collapses into the nearest chair and Katie sits next to him. He buries his face in his hands, trying to hide his distress. Katie sighs and puts a hand on his back, trying to soothe him somewhat.

After about a hour, a doctor walks out of the emergency room doors and walks over to Kale and Katie. Kale stands and looks at the doctor hopefully. The doctor motions for him to follow and begins walking towards a hallway lined with doors, all of them closed. He opens one, then leads Kale and Katie inside.

"We don't know what's wrong." The doctor states as Kale rushes over to Erin's sleeping form. "Her body is rather healthy, except, what are these bruises? And two freshly broken ribs? Not only that, but she has many signs of past abuse. Who inflicted this?"

Kale turns to look at the doctor, anger disfiguring his face. "Her son of a _bitch _father." The doctor nods and then turns toward the door.

"What is her name, do you know?"

Kale nods then turns back toward Erin, kneeling on the floor next to her and taking her hand. "Her name is Erin Kendiric."

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"Joni… C'mon, let's go see if that really is…" I trail off, looking at the house in front of me. Joni just puts her arm around my waist, holding on tightly as we begin to stumble towards the house.

After five or ten minutes, we reach the house. I knock on the door and then step back. I've lost so much blood, my head is spinning. When the door opens, we are face to face with a tall, blonde haired girl with bright blue eyes. She is wearing a black, strapless bra and light purple pants.

"What happened?! Come on in; oh my God what did you two _do_?" She squeaks. I mustn't look too good, I guess.

"Help her… She's gon… gonna die…" I mumble. The next thing I know, the floor is spiraling up to meet my head, and then everything is black.

When I wake up, I'm lying on a soft bed and the early morning light is gently caressing my face. I look over and see Joni asleep next to me. I sit up dizzily then look at the door, across the room from my bed. The girl, who had been sitting in a chair by the door, stands and walks over to me.

"What happened? Tell me everything." She states as she stands next to the bed. I look up at her, wondering how to begin.

"First, start with your name. I'm Winry."

I nod, then begin.

"Winry, I'm Erin and this is Joni." I gesture towards Joni, asleep on the bed next to mine. "We… well, _I _don't exactly know how we ended up here, but the last thing I remember is being falling asleep at my boy--… crushes' house."

She raises an eyebrow. "You don't remember coming to Resembool?"

"No." I shake my head.

"Well, then, where are you from?"

"…Nevada. Pahrump, Nevada."

She turns her head disbelievingly. "I've never heard of this 'Nevada' place."

"It's… far away."

"Oh." She nods, accepting the story. "Well, why did you come here, of all places?"

"We heard about the famous 'Rockbell Mechanics' where I come from. I saw the sign and instantly knew to come here."

"What?" She looks surprised. "My work is famous?"

I nod. "Of course! After what you did for Fullmetal, of course it is!"

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"Watch out! Move out of the way!" A nurse in a rush yells at Kale as she rushes by, pushing a bed in front of her. On the bed is a far-too familiar face; one with chin length silver hair and-- though they were closed-- bright silver eyes.

"Joni?!" Kale yells as he follows the nurse.

"I'm sorry, Sir. Not right now. Wait until she's out of the ECU." A harassed-looking doctor tells Kale. Kale stops and nods, still watching the nurse push Joni away. The doctor closes the doors and turns to check out Joni.

A couple of hours later, Kale is sitting in Erin's room again. She smiles in her sleep and he wonders if she's really in a coma. He tries to shake her awake: no response. He tries everything possible and still, nothing. He gives up, lies on the hospital bed next to her and whispers in her ear.

"Erin… I love you. I want you to come back… Please…" He pleads. She moans and turns toward him cuddling. He wraps his arms around her and, after a few hours, falls asleep.

"Hey… Kale…" Kale opens his eyes, hoping to see Erin awakened, but no such luck. "Hey! Kale…! Over here, dummy!" He turns to see his sister by the door.

"Oh… Hey…" He mumbles.

"Doc said you're not supposed to be up there with her."

"Tell him I don't give a damn."

"How did I know you were going to say that?" She laughs. He smiles and stretches, sitting up.

"Kale?"

"Hmm?" He yawns.

"Do you want to stay here with her?"

"Yes." He whispers as he caresses Erin's cheek. He looks at his sister with an apologetic look upon his face.

"Well then, I guess school out for a while, huh?" She smiles. "Here's fifty dollars. Get some food. I've gotta take Faith home. I'll call you soon." She throws one last smile at him, then turns and scoops up a small girl into her arms, then walks out. Kale sighs and sits next to Erin, playing with the fifty dollar bill idly.

"Erin…" He sighs.


End file.
